Bison vs. Buffalo: What’s The Difference?

What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?

Bison are sometimes called buffalo in casual use, but they are two different animals.

Bison: Bison are native to North America and Europe, In general, bison have larger heads, humps, hair, and overall size.                    

Buffalo: Buffalo are native to Africa and Asia, and have longer, curvier horns. 

Here are Some Differences Between Bison and Buffalo as Bellow:

Native: Bison are native to North America and Europe, they mostly live in the the grasslands of North America and the forests of Eastern Europe. While Buffalo is native to Africa and Asia, the land is in the savannas and grasslands of Africa.

Style: Bison have larger heads, humps, hairy and overall size. Bison horns curve slightly out and up and are shorter, around 2 to 2.5 feet long.  Buffalos have longer, curvier horns and their horns can grow up to around 5 feet in length.

Dangerous degree: The African buffalo is more dangerous in general because they are much more aggressive than American Bison. Also, many clients think the buffalo sculpture is a symbol of strength and bravery.

What is the Difference Between  Buffalo,   Bull,  Cow,  Bison, and Oxen?

Buffalo: It is a large mammal native to Africa and Asia, and has longer, curvier horns.

Bison: Bison are native to North America and Europe, In general, bison have larger heads, humps, hair, and overall size.

Cow: Generally, refers to domestic cattle, regardless of sex and age, In precise usage, the name is given to mature females and large mammals.

Bull: Bulls are uncastrated male domestic cattle, used primarily for breeding and meat.

Oxen: An oxen is a castrated male domestic cattle, usually trained for heavy labor such as pulling carts and plowing fields.

Are They All Related to Normal black and White Cows?

About the question of “normal” black and white cows, most of these terms do not directly refer to the normal black and white cow. For example, “oxen” and “buffalo” usually refer to different species of animals, while “bull” and “bison” are more often used to describe a specific sex or breed. However, it is important to note that the term “cattle” may refer to all types of domestic or wild cattle, including the normal black and white cows.

Are Buffalo and Bison the Same?

The words buffalo and bison are often used interchangeably, especially in the United States. However, bison and buffalo refer to different animals. In fact, bison and buffalo don’t look like each other and don’t typically live on the same continents.

Why did Americans Call Bison for Buffalo?

People in the U.S. commonly call the large, hairy, ox-like animal a buffalo, but that animal is actually a kind of bison. While we don’t know exactly where this common mix-up comes from, a popular theory is that early European settlers confused the American bison they found with the African and Asian buffalo they were familiar with. Whatever the reason, many Americans still mistakenly refer to bison as buffalo today. 

Did Native Americans Say Buffalo or Bison?

People in America, commonly call the large, hairy, ox-like animal a buffalo, but that animal is actually a kind of bison, many Americans still mistakenly refer to bison as buffalo today. Usually, indigenous people prefer to use the term buffalo, and in scientific contexts, the term bison is used in a cultural context.

Why Did They Change Buffalo to Bison?

It is mainly related to historical and cultural background. First, when early French explorers discovered this large mammal in North America, because of its large size, similar to that of European cattle, so named “bœuf” in French evolved into the current “buffalo”. Although the buffalo and the bison are the same family, the Bison are really wildlife and they are actually native to the North American continent the American buffalo’s scientific name is Bison bison, so most Americans want to change the buffalo to the basin.

Bison, Buffalo, Tatanka: Bovids of the Badlands

Generally, the bison, buffalo, and Tatanka all refer to the American Bison. Although the scientific name of these animals is bison, they are commonly referred to as buffalo. The word bronze buffalo statue comes from the French word “bœuf,” which was the name given to bison by French fur trappers working in America in the early 17th century when they saw these animals.

And the “Tatanka” is another name for the animals, Tatanka is the Lakota word for “bison.” Bison are very important in Lakota culture; the Lakota were traditionally nomadic people who followed buffalo throughout their lives before European Americans settled in the West. Also, the word Tatanka holds deep cultural and spiritual significance among Native American tribes, as a symbol of strength, resilience, and sacred traditions.

Cast Many Bull Sculptures for Our Clients:

We also make many cattle sculptures for our clients and we receive good feedback. You can see that these sculptures we made are very realistic and vivid, showing the power and spirit of the sculpture prefect. That is because we have specialized in bronze animal sculpture design and manufacture for more than 40 years. Here are some finished sculpture samples you can make reference.

Make 1:1 Clay Models:

We will make 1:1 clay models for our all bronze sculptures, and our artists will modify the clay model repeatedly according to your needs, of course, our professional artists have rich experience, so in general their ability to restore the clay model can reach more than 80% for the first time, you could trust our ability and craftsmanship.

Here are some classic cattle sculptures, and we have made many styles of cattle sculpture, if you are interested in learning more details, glad to welcome your inquiry!

Also, we could accept customization, our designer and artists can design the original drawing and our artists can make it perfect according to your description, We believe we would meet your needs and also be the best choice for you. Sincerely welcome you to custom animal sculpture from us, we will bring more surprises to you!